Coronavirus

We welcome the financial support the government has made available during the coronavirus crisis, but children have been left out. Many families with children are struggling to make ends meet. We are:

• pushing for a £10 increase to child benefit because this would reach the majority of families easily and reduce child poverty
• calling for the two-child limit and benefit cap to be lifted
• pushing for families to be given cash rather than the problematic online voucher system to replace free school meals
• working with other organisations to campaign for a Coronavirus Emergency Income Support Scheme
• publishing regular briefings from our Early Warning System on the problems advisers are seeing in the social security system at this time
• giving advice to advisers through AskCPAG.

If you're a frontline adviser, you can share your clients' experiences (without any personal details) of the social security system through our Early Warning System.

Share your experiences of school closures

While schools are closed due to the coronavirus, councils and schools across the UK are putting measures in place to support families facing difficult financial circumstances. CPAG’s UK Cost of the School Day team wants to understand what is working well for children, parents and carers living in low-income households, in order to inform our recommendations to decision-makers. If you’re a parent or carer with school-age children, or know other parents or carers who would like to share their experience:

We also want to hear from children:

Please share these surveys with others who might like to contribute.

The impact of school closures in Wales

Our Cost of the School Day development manager in Wales Ellie Harwood has blogged on the impact of school closures on children living in poverty.

Brilliant supporters take on the 2.6 challenge

We are grateful to every supporter who took on the 2.6 challenge at the end of April, raising an impressive £1,120!

Supporter Lynne got creative and made 26 child figurines out of clay (with each going to the first 26 people to donate) raising £150. Mason Advisory kindly chose us along with four other charities to benefit from their staff fundraising, with activities ranging from running 26km to holding 26 yoga poses for 2 mins 6 seconds each. Their efforts have so far raised £476.

From the CPAG team: head of fundraising Toral got the whole family involved in a 26-mile bike ride (see photo), rowing 26 miles on their rowing machine and made 26 donations to worthy causes; Naomi our director of business ran her own fundraiser with friends and family; and campaigns officer Lizzie went for a 2.6-mile stroll with her family. Together they raised £433!

A tremendous thank you to everyone who took on a challenge or donated. The money raised will make a huge difference to our work supporting struggling families.